01/13/18 Deceit and Lies

READING: Genesis 27-29*

Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am.”

Genesis 27:24

Jacob was the favorite son of his mother, Rebekah. Knowing her husband Isaac was about to give his blessing to their oldest son, Esau, Rebekah devised a plan to deceive her aging husband. She fixed Isaac a meal, obtained Esau’s clothing for Jacob to wear, and secured the hair of goats to Jacob’s body to convince Isaac he was blessing Esau instead. When Isaac learned what had happened, he could only proclaim in grief to Esau, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing” (Gen. 27:35).

Think about the work that Rebekah and Jacob had to exert to put this lie into motion. Rebekah had to “cook up” the plan (literally). Every step of the plan required thought and effort. Jacob then lied multiple times, saying that he was Esau, affirming he had done what his father had asked in finding the game, asserting that God led the way, insisting again that he was Esau, and even kissing his father as if he were his older brother. Rebekah and Jacob could have halted the deceitful process with every decision they made, but instead they let the lie capture them and compel them deeper and deeper into deceit. Lie followed lie, and deception exponentially grew.

That’s usually the case with lying: you have to expend more energy making the lie work than you do in actually telling the lie. Even one little lie turns your attention from being light in a dark world to protecting your little piece of the darkness.

ACTION STEPS:

If you’re living in deceit, let today be the last day of lies. Be honest with somebody, beginning with God.

Be truthful in all you do today.

PRAYER: “God, grant me faith and courage to be fully honest today.”

TOMORROW’S READING: Review Genesis 12-29

*Portions of this devotion are a reworking of a previous one published in 2017.

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As Dr. Lawless does his daily Bible reading in 2017, he sends these devotional comments to accountability partners. This year, he is focusing on spiritual warfare in the Bible. If you would like to receive these short, daily devotionals, enter your email below to subscribe.